Photo Gallery : This week’s news in pictures (30 March 2009)

santogold

Santigold has announced details of a North American tour, kicking off May 21 in San Francisco, CA.The singer formerly known as Santogold will head into the studio directly after the tour to record her second album.The upcoming tour will see Santi performing with a full band and dancers for the first time in North America. Pic: Ed Miles

The Rakes are set to perform a select number of dates in the US next month in support of their third album. ‘Klang’ which was recorded in a Bauhaus-designed ex-Soviet radio station in Berlin that was converted into a studio, is the follow-up to 2007’s Ten New Messages’, and was produced by Chris Zane who’s previously worked with Les Savy Fav, Passion Pit and The Walkmen.

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La Roux

La Roux has announced the dates of a brief North American tour next month. The hotly-tipped singer, who is headlining the NME Radar Tour in the UK, will play dates in cities including Brooklyn, Montreal, San Francisco and Los Angeles in early April. She has also announced that she will release her three-track EP, ‘Quicksand’, in the US in April. Pic: Andy Whitton

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oasis

Liam Gallagher has dashed hopes he will launch his new fashion label Pretty Green by taking to the catwalk himself. In this week’s issue of NME, on UK newsstands today (March 25), we take a look at the Oasis singer’s new fashion line, find out the star’s plans, plus look at the possibility of the label launching with a fashion show. Pic: Dean Chalkley

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Spandau Ballet Comeback – London

Placebo have revealed the tracklisting of new album ‘Battle For The Sun’ to NME.COM. As previously reported, the band are releasing their sixth album independently on June 8. Now, frontman Brian Molko has explained the thinking behind the collection, as well as the tracklisting. Molko said: “I believe ‘Battle’ to be the first of our albums to tell a story over the course of its 52 minutes. Our previous releases were really only collections of songs and even though the songs are ordered according to the musical flow, I hope that if you listen hard enough to the words that some kind of discernible thematic unity will begin to emerge.” Pic: PA Photos

Placebo have announced details of their ‘optimistic’ new album, due for release this summer. ‘Battle For The Sun’, the band’s sixth, is released on June 8. The follow-up to 2006’s ‘Meds’ was recorded in Toronto by Dave Bottrill (Tool) and mixed by Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine / Nine Inch Nails), and heralds a new era for the veteran rockers.

Metallica’s former bassist Jason Newsted will reportedly join Metallica on stage when the veteran rock band is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month. The band, who will be inducted by Red Hot Chili Peppers’ bassist Flea, said that they were inspired to reunite with their estranged bassist, who left the band in 2001, largely due to awkwardness they witnessed when Blondie were inducted in 2006. Pic: Danny North

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Style: “arcade fire shot3”

Director Spike Jonze has used Arcade Fire’s rousing song ‘Wake Up’ as the backing music for the trailer of his highly anticipated forthcoming film ‘Where The Wild Things Are’. In addition, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ frontwoman Karen O is working on the soundtrack along with composer Carter Burwell, with input from Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox, reports Pitchfork. Pic: Dean Chalkley

Muse have confirmed they will tour this autumn. A message posted on Muse.mu stated that the band – who are currently working on the follow up to 2006’s ‘Black Holes And Revelations’ – will play shows across Europe and North America later this year. The post also revealed that Muse are to support U2 on some of their forthcoming North American tour this September. Pic: Andy Willsher

The band are making the track available for free through Kasabian.co.uk from next Tuesday (March 31) – but only for four days. Speaking to NME.COM about the track – which precedes Kasabian’s third album ‘West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ – guitarist Serge Pizzorno told NME.COM he is looking forward to seeing people’s reactions.”After a few listens people will understand why it’s first because it blows the doors off,” he said. “I wanted it to have a Beastie Boys and Clash feel.”

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PEOPLE GREEN DAY

Green Day have announced the release date of their forthcoming studio album. ’21st Century Breakdown’ is due to be released worldwide on May 15. As previously reported, the band’s first studio album since 2004’s ‘American Idiot’ is divided into three acts: ‘Heroes And Cons’; ‘Charlatans And Saints’; and ‘Horseshoes And Handgrenades’, and “follows a young couple, Christian and Gloria, through the mess and promise of the century so far”. Pic: PA Photos

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MUSIC BOB DYLAN

Dylan will play the venue on April 26 – the day after he headlines the O2 Arena. Tickets for the Roundhouse gig are now on sale. The gig will see Dylan play to just 2,000 paying fans, making it the smallest show on his current world tour.Head to NME.COM/Gigs for ticket availability.

Prince is gearing up to perform three Los Angeles shows in one night this weekend. The Purple One is marking the simultaneous release of three new albums as well as the launch of his new website LotusFlow3r.com with three performances today (March 28). They are set to take place at three LA Live venues downtown: Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, Conga Room and Club Nokia.

Kaiser Chiefs’ drummer and songwriter Nick Hodgson has written a number of songs with Duran Duran for their new album. The band are currently in the studio with Mark Ronson, who invited Hodgson in to work with Le Bon and co.“I called Nick a week ago and asked if he’d be interested in coming to work with Duran Duran and write a song” Ronson told NME.COM. “He’s never done that before, because he only writes with Ricky and his own band, but I thought it made a lot of sense because there’s a lot of Kaiser Chiefs songs I could imagine being on a Duran Duran record 25 years ago.”

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Rock Renaissance party – London

The Kooks have announced an intimate one-off show next month. The band will play the gig at Leamington Spa Assembly on April 23.To check the availability of Kooks tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/GIGS now